Pocket form comforter



July 8, 1941. E. H. LICHT POCKET FORM COMFORTER- Filed July 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR .Z'mmzaelfi BY I,

. ATTORNEY d ML July 8, 1941 I E. H. LIGHT POCKET FoRM' COMFORTER Filed July 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. [Maw/fil ATTORNEY Patented July 8, 194-1 3. Claims.

This invention proposes the inauguration of a new method for quilting blankets and such articles as aviators, or other padded clothing, wherein a maximum of warmth is desired, the method to be known as the form and pocket method of quilting.

The inventor specifically proposes the construction of a pocket form comforter or blanket, having the following application:

The pocket form comforter is a comforter designed for ordinary use in the home, as well as hospital and camp to take the place of the ordinary blanket. This comforter can be used as a blanket, or as a comforter. An ordinary blanket can be put to use as a blanket only. An ordinary comforter can be put to use as a comforter only. At times the blanket is unseasonable, and at other times, the comforter is unseasonable.

The pocket form comforter can be used as a blanket at one time and as a comforter at another.

The value of this article among other things, is its double utility.

()ne of the special features of it is that it can be used under varying climatic and seasonal conditions.

Another special feature of it is that it can be Washed or cleaned just like an ordinary blanket,

whereas this cannot be done with a comforter.

For further comprehension" .of the invention, and of theObjGCts and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description, and accompanying drawings, and to the append ed claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a pocket form com forter constructed in accordance vention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a pocket form comwith this inforter constructed according to another form of this invention.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a pocket form comforter embodying another form of the' invention. Fig. 5 is a top plan View of another pocket form comforter embodying still another form of theinvention.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View of a pocket form comforter constructed in accordance with another embodiment of this invention. r

Fig. 7 is'a topplan View of a pocket form com- 1 cordance with another form of this invention.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of Fig. 8. n

The pocket form comforter and blanket, in ac- 4 cordance with this invention, may consist of the ordinary blanket it, if it is desirable to use a blanket, plus' superimposed pockets H into which can readily be placed forms -I2 containing filling materials it and made up in designs preferred by the user.

The pockets H may be squares'or formed from square configurations or of other shapes, such as the curved configurations ll shown in Fig. 3, or any other design.

The pockets may be uniform or all of the same design, or of varying designs.

Where the pockets are larger than the human hand, it is preferable that the opening to the said pockets be no larger than the human hand.

Where the pockets are smaller than the human hand, then the openings may be much smaller.

The reason for not having the openings too large, is that the forms stay put better the more they are confined by the Walls of the pockets.

There maybe single openings to each pocket, or one opening can serve for several adjacent pockets as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. In other words, two or more pockets may be opposite to each other, and there may be one opening serving both pockets. There may be four adjoining 55 the form should be placed across pockets on one opening.

These openings can be closed by slide fasteners M, or any other fastening elements, such as snap fasteners, buttons, etc., not shown in the drawings. A standard slide fastener is preferable.

The pockets II should be filled in all instances with forms I 2 instead of loose filling material.

' The reason for using forms I2 is to aid in the washing or cleaning of the item.

I Where it is desirable to fill the form compactly, especially with down, the form itself can be quilted with quilting l5.

Where the filling is compact and the form is large, this may be desirable. It also may be desirable where the form is long and narrow.

Where the form is longer than it is wide, whether oblong in shape or an extended crescent, it should be placed into the comforter where it will rest on the widest side. In other words, the width of the blanket instead of the length. Where the form is long a snap fastener IS on each end would be sufi'icient to hold it in place in the pocket.

It is possible to have one fastening element l4 along the center of the blanket serving continuous rows of pockets H on both sides of the fastening element, serving the entire blanket as disclosed in Fig. 4. Such a fastening element can be placed in the center of the blanket.

Two such fastening elements l4 can be placed on both sides of the blanket, as disclosed in Fig. 5.

A similar design can be worked out by placing fastening elements across the width of the blanket; one fastening element serving the entire blanket.

The forms should be made up of closely woven cotton materials in order to prevent the fillin element from leaking out. Closely woven cotton cloth should be used to cover the forms because cotton is durable and can stand sterilization better than silk or other materials.

The prime purpose of the pocket form comforter is its double utility. It is especially adaptable for hospitals, where it is important that the article of bedding be easily cleaned. The best way to clean an article of bedding is to wash it.

Under sub-arctic conditions, the air pockets between the body and the outer temperature is so vitally important, that even the lines at which the quilting is done are found to be colder than the center of the quilted parts. The matter of spreading the down throughout the pockets is very important. This entire problem can be very easily overcome by the following:

The form should be made with boxed edges or ends. At no point should the cloth on the forms be sewed together in a single seam. By boxing the ends of the forms, the down will not be forced away from the ends towards the center, but will have enough room under any pressure to disperse itself evenly through the entire form. In order that the effect of this is not destroyed, the pockets must be sewed to contain boxed forms.

The outer edges of the comforter is a very simple problem. They can be boxed off just like a mattress or a squared cushion. The center forms can be preferably handled in one of two ways.

The first way would be to pleat the pockets at the points where they would be ordinarily sewed, and sew opposing pleats together to form inner walls.

Another way would be to simply sew pockets up separately just like the forms are sewed, and then sew the boxed pockets together to form a completed whole. This would make a comforter with a squared edge and a completely fiat surface top and bottom, enclosing flat forms. The other parts of the comforter would be the same as previously described. In this way, there would be no possibility of the down shifting towards tapered off edges or tapered off seams as is usual under ordinary quilting.

Another way, see Fig. 6, would be to seam the pockets on one end of each pocket only, leaving the other side of the pocket unseamed and open, shown at ll, lapping over the next pocket. These laps are fastened with snap fasteners I8 after inserting the forms [2. By this method, entire dependence must be made on the form for preventing of seepage of down.

' Where it is desirable that the contents of the forms be visible, transparent cloths such as certain forms of Nylon may be used for the pockets. Manufacturers, anxious to have the consumer see and compare what he or she is buying, would reap great benefit by making the forms out of transparent materials provided the question of cost is taken into consideration, and provided the materials are woven so that they allow air to gradually sift through the material, and yet woven close enough not to allow the filler to work its way through. The housewife would also be interested in seeing the condition of the material from time to time.

Where seepage is taken care of by depending upon the forms, the pocket cover could be sewed in desired designs to the blanket with the individual pockets left open in the form of flaps as shown in Fig. 6. With this design, the forms would be merely inserted under each flap and the flap snapped or fastened into place, holding the form between the blanket wall and the flaps.

Where the blanket is intended for home use, pockets or the top cover can be made with more decorative materials, such as silk or satin and the same blanket could be used both during warm weather and in winter weather by merely inserting the forms when the weather becomes cold.

Another advantage of the pocket form comforter is that there is greater assurance of the filler being equally distributed over the entire surface of the comforter, than in an ordinary comforter where the filling for each pocket or unit is not weighed or measured off separately, but simply judged by eye or rule of thumb. It will be very easy to see that each form has the correct amount of filler in it by weight, because each form will be made separately.

Of all the fillers, down is the most preferable because it is very resilient and allows itself to be compressed into a very small volume so that it can be easily put through the opening of the pocket. Yet, as soon as it gets an opportunity for expanding, once it is within the pocket, it will do so and fill the pocket up much more effectively than the other fillers, such as kapok, hair or cotton.

Kapok is the next best filler, but it has the disadvantages as against down. It is not durable. It is very flammable. It does not serve the purpose as a good bedding filler to sleep under because of its moisture resistant qualities, For many other reasons, it is not as good as down.

The pocket form comforter can be made, as shown in Fig. 7, with two strips 2| across the top and across the bottom with openings 22 left in the strips for inserting ribbons or decorative cords 23. These cords or ribbons 23 can be fastened to the bed rails, preventing the comforter from slippingoff the bed when the person sleeping thereunder tosses about while asleep. This avoids the necessity of tucking the end of the comforter or blanket under the mattress and cramping the feet of the sleeper until he or she unloosens it before he or she can become comfortable.

The'weight of the pocket form comforter plus the anchors, by means of ribbons to the foot of the bed, is enough to prevent cold drafts from coming in under the comforter by the tossing of the sleeper.

Where infants, children or invalids are concerned, the ribbons at the top of the comforter as well as at the bottom of it, can be fastened to the bed rails.

The housewife can use the same forms over and over again, if she decides that she wants to change the color scheme of her comforter, or if the pockets become worn out, because forms, es-

pecially down forms can last for many years. Down is a very durable filler. The casing on the forms if made up of cotton and used on the inside, would also be very durable and-probably last a lifetime. I

The, housewife may have several casings of pockets and use the same set of forms in them, if she is inclined to use one particular design of pockets.

At the present time, when ahousewife wants to reclaim the down ina used comforter or wants to change the color of a comforter; she has to go a skilled quilt maker and pay a fancy price just for the quilting of the article, even if she furnishes all of her own materialsfi It takes special sewing machines to quilt a comforter, and it requires special skill to'do so. By the pocket form method, that is not necessary. By using any ordinary sewing machine or with ordinary skill in hand sewing, a housewife can make the pockets of a comforter where the design is simple.

Where we have from temperate to extreme cold weather in northern climates, the forms can be encased in ordinary sheetings during'the temperate part of the year and when extreme cold weather sets in, the forms can be encased in very heavy blanketing, without the necessity of having two kinds of comforters. I am referring to sub-Arctic conditions, such as Alaska, where a very heavy comforter would be uncomfortable at certain times of the year and necessary at other times of the year. The problem could also be handled by merely using double blanketing during the milder times of the year and inserting the forms in the pockets during the very cold part of the year.

In moderate climates by the use of the pocket form comforter the comforter could be used as a decorative bed cover during the summer, as well as in the winter, without the necessity of addi tional bed spreads or decorative bed coverings by simply taking the forms out of it in the summer and showing the decorated side. Such a comforter would have to be cut to the same measurements top and bottom to prevent puffs or uneven surfaces at the time that the forms are not in the pockets.

In some instances, the housewife prefers to have a bolster at the head of the bed. By rolling up the pocket form comforter and tying it with the bed rail ribbons, she can form a very evenly rolled bolster.

We put nap on a wool blanket in order to entrap a larger amount of air. A pocket form comforter in proportion to its thickness, is lighter than two or three blankets of the same thickness.

The pocket form comforter, due to its light weight, lends itself to a high degree of comfort to the sleeper. It is more comfortable, especially for a person who is ill and easily distressed, to sleep under a light cover than a heavy one.

The use of the comforter because of its light weight, makes it very desirable as a bed cover for invalids.

The pocket form comforter when filled with the forms, due to the thick air pockets, retains a more even and a warmer temperature than a blanket.

The prime purpose of the pocket form comforter is its utility and its use either as a straight blanket or as a comforter.

Airing the comforter, especially in the sun, improves its resiliency and its durability. It also cleans it. Feathers and down seem to withdrawozone or oxygen from the air into themselves when subjected to this treatment. In fact, in the early days before the introduction of modern machinery, that was the way feathers .and down were cured. They were sun dried in mosquito net, or other loose woven bags until ready for use.

-When the forms are taken out of the comforter to be stored they can be freshened by merely placing them where the sun can get at them. Aired a day or two in this manner in the sun is suficient to cause them to discharge any impurities that they may have absorbed while used in the form pockets. At that time, it would probably be practical to send the cover to the laundry before putting it to use for the summer as a blanket. It could again be laundered before being putto winter use and before the forms are inserted in the pockets.

The pocket form comforter would replace, judging it from the thickness of the pockets, from two to three blankets insofar as warming capacity is concerned.

The use of this comforter would be of benefit to the cotton producers as well as to the waterfowl producers and the producers of other fillers.

For military purposes, where an army is maneuvering or moving from temperate to cold climates, and is equipped with this style of blanket or comforter, it would'be a small matter to transport forms and have the soldiers insert the forms when they get to certain destinations. It would not be necessary to compel men to do without proper equipment because they were not supplied with blankets that can be converted to cold weather equipment.

The same theory would apply to his clothing if it were equipped with pockets into which forms could be placed at quick notice.

For military purposes, and because the average soldier is equipped under ordinary conditions in temperate climates with at least two blankets, it may be preferable to sew these two blankets together in the manner described herebefore so that he could convert the blanket into a comforter. I

If, however, it is preferred not to equip him with more than one blanket, then a lining out of lighter cotton material could be sewed to that one blanket in the manner of pocket forms described before and that one blanket could be converted on quick notice into a pocket form comforter if the need for same arises.

Because tests indicate that fillers, such as down are buoyant, some of the end ribbons or cords could be left in loops to aid troops in fording streams, or even as an aid for a man thrown overboard from a, plane or a boat.

Where it is desirable to ford a stream, equipment, bandoleers of ammunition, cartridge belts, rations, and clothing could be rolled into the comforter, tied firmly with the ribbons or cords or belts and floated across in dry condition.

The tests indicate that a comforter containing about four pounds of down couldfioat at least forty pounds of materials.

Where more buoyant filler, such as kapok, although not desirable for other reasons, is used, a greater amount of weight could possibly be floated.

If one side of the pocket form comforter is made of moisture-proof material, such as balloon cloth or similar material and the comforter rolled with the moisture-proof material on the outside, then the buoyancy would be enhanced by reason of the fact that the air laden material would be confined behind the moistureproof wall.

In Figs. 8 and 9 another embodiment of the pocket form comforter has been disclosed. It comprises a bottom sheet or blanket 25 upon which a plurality of pockets 26 are superimposed. These pockets are arranged adjacent each other. Certain adjacent pockets are provided with a common mouth opening 21 which is normally closed with a slide fastener 28. Within each pocket there is a form Ill.

The forms I2 are of somewhat smaller compass than the compass of the pockets so that they may be shifted to one position or another as desired. With this arrangement it is possible to separate the forms to different distances to increase the area through which air may pass through the blanket or sheet 25 and through the materials forming the pockets without having to pass through the forms. Each form [2 is held in a selected position by several straps 30. These straps 30 are mounted upon adjacent forms or adjacent stationary parts.

The straps 30 at the extreme right and left hand sides of Figs. 8 and 9 are shown attached to the side walls of the pockets. Each of these straps 30 has a fastening element 3| cooperative with one of a group of fastening elements 3| mounted on the form l2. This permits the form to be shifted to various positions. The straps 30 between forms extend through passages 32 in the walls of the pockets. These straps 30 are permanently secured to one of the forms 12 and their other ends are provided with fastening elements 3| cooperative with complementary fastening elements 3| on the other of the forms. The arrangement facilitates positioning the forms in the pockets as desired.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A pocket form comforter, comprising a base cloth such as a blanket, a plurality of pockets mounted on said base cloth and having openings making them accessible, and removable forms within said pockets, and means for fixedly holding said forms in said pockets, comprising straps within certain of said pockets and attached at one of their ends to said pockets and adjustably attached at their other ends to certain of said forms, and additional straps attached to certain of said forms and extending through openings in certain of said pockets to other pockets and the extended ends of said additional straps being adjustably attached to other of said forms.

2. A pocket form comforter, comprising a base cloth, a plurality of pockets mounted on said base with vertical walls separating adjacent pockets, forms mounted within said pockets, straps having one of their ends securely attached to certain of said forms and their free ends extended through openings formed in said walls and into adjacent pockets, and means for securing said free ends to the form located within said adjacent pocket to prevent relative movement between adjacent forms.

3. A pocket form comforter, comprising a base cloth, a plurality of pockets mounted on said base with vertical walls separating adjacent pockets, forms mounted within said pockets, straps having one of their ends securely attached to certain of said forms and their free ends extended through openings formed in said walls and into adjacent pockets, and means for securing said free ends to the form located within said adjacent pocket to prevent relative movement between adjacent forms, comprising snap fastener elements on the face of said form adjacent the free end of said strap, and a complementary snap fastener element on the free end of said strap and selectively engageable with one of said snap fastener elements.

EMANUEL H. LICHT. 

